Great-tailed Grackle
Great-tailed GrackleGreat-tailed GrackleGreat-tailed GrackleGreat-tailed Grackle

Great-tailed Grackle

Quiscalus mexicanus

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Darién National Park
880 Verified sightings at Darién National Park From 2019 to 2026
64,501 Verified sightings across all 63 parks From 2019 to 2026
December Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Great-tailed Grackle

The great-tailed grackle or Mexican grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) is a medium-sized, highly social passerine bird native to North and South America. A member of the family Icteridae, it is one of 10 extant species of grackle and is closely related to the boat-tailed grackle and the extinct slender-billed grackle. In the southern and southwestern United States, the grackle is sometimes referred to simply as a "blackbird" or (erroneously) a "crow" due to its glossy black plumage; however, grackles form their own unique genus that is separate from other "blackbirds", such as the red-winged and Brewer's blackbirds, despite being in the same family (Icteridae). Superficially, Brewer's blackbird is one of the most visually similar species to grackles.

In some parts of Mexico, the grackle is sometimes referred to in Spanish as cuervo ("raven"; "crow"), although it is not a member of the crow genus (Corvus) nor of their family (Corvidae). The great-tailed grackle was formally described in 1788 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the crows in the genus Corvus and coined the... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Darién National Park

Carib Grackle
LC

Carib Grackle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Quiscalus lugubris

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Crested Oropendola
LC

Crested Oropendola

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Psarocolius decumanus

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Chestnut-headed Oropendola
LC

Chestnut-headed Oropendola

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Psarocolius wagleri

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Black Oropendola
LC

Black Oropendola

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Psarocolius guatimozinus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Yellow-rumped Cacique
LC

Yellow-rumped Cacique

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cacicus cela

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Shiny Cowbird
LC

Shiny Cowbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Molothrus bonariensis

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Orange-crowned Oriole
LC

Orange-crowned Oriole

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Icterus auricapillus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Giant Cowbird
LC

Giant Cowbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Molothrus oryzivorus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Red-breasted Blackbird
LC

Red-breasted Blackbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sturnella militaris

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Yellow-backed Oriole
LC

Yellow-backed Oriole

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Icterus chrysater

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Baltimore Oriole
LC

Baltimore Oriole

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Icterus galbula

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Orchard Oriole
LC

Orchard Oriole

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Icterus spurius

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~80%
2 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~80%
3 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~80%
4 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
~80%
5 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~70%
6 Ostional Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~60%
7 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~60%
8 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~60%
9 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~60%
10 Utría National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~60%
11 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~60%
12 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~60%
13 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~50%
14 Coiba National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~50%
15 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~50%
16 Masaya Volcano National Park 🇳🇮 Nicaragua
~50%
17 Celaque National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~40%
18 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~40%
19 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~40%
20 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~40%
21 San Lorenzo Protected Forest 🇵🇦 Panama
~40%
22 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~40%
23 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~40%
24 Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~40%
25 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~40%
26 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
~30%
27 Biotopo Cerro Cahuí 🇬🇹 Guatemala
~30%
28 El Triunfo 🇲🇽 Mexico
~30%
29 La Tigra National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~30%
30 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
31 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~30%
32 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
33 Irazú Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
34 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~30%
35 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~30%
36 Volcán Barú National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~30%
37 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~30%
38 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~20%
39 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
40 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
41 Poás Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
42 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
43 Tikal National Park 🇬🇹 Guatemala
~20%
44 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
45 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
46 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
47 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
48 Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
49 Cusuco National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~10%
50 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
51 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
52 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
~10%
53 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
54 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
55 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
56 Puracé National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
57 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
58 Los Quetzales National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
59 Los Nevados National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
60 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
Insufficient data
61 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
62 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
63 Galápagos Islands 🇪🇨 Ecuador
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Great-tailed Grackle in Darién National Park?

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Great-tailed Grackle sighting in Darién National Park, based on 880 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Great-tailed Grackle in Darién National Park?

December has the highest sighting rate for Great-tailed Grackle in Darién National Park in our monthly data.

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